Drone strike in South Kordofan kills 79, including 43 children

At least 79 civilians, including 43 children, were reported killed and 38 injured after a drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit the city of Kalogi in South Kordofan on Thursday, Sudanese authorities said.

The state government said the attack targeted a kindergarten, a hospital, and surrounding residential neighbourhoods. Four women were among those killed. Officials described the strike as a “serious crime” and called on the international community to hold the RSF and its allies accountable.

Initially, authorities reported eight fatalities, including six children and a teacher, but the death toll later rose as more victims were identified. No comment was immediately received from the SPLM-N, the RSF-aligned armed group implicated in the attack.

UNICEF condemned the strike as “a severe violation of children’s rights,” noting that many victims were between five and seven years old. Sheldon Yett, UNICEF’s representative in Sudan, urged all parties to cease hostilities and allow safe humanitarian access. “Children must not bear the consequences of conflict,” he said.

The attack comes amid escalating fighting in the Kordofan region, which has displaced more than 41,000 people since early November and worsened humanitarian needs, the agency said.

The violence has raised fears of Kordofan becoming “another El Fasher,” where civilians previously faced widespread killings, sexual violence, and arbitrary detention, UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned. Towns such as Kadugli and Dilling in South Kordofan are particularly vulnerable, with communities reportedly trapped under siege conditions, facing severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.

Reports indicate that retaliatory killings, arbitrary detentions, forced recruitment of children, and sexual violence are occurring alongside aerial strikes and artillery shelling. Access to communications and aid remains limited, complicating reporting and relief efforts.

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South Kordofan is one of three states seeing heavy clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF. While the RSF controls most of Darfur, the army retains authority over many other regions, including the capital, Khartoum.

The Sudanese conflict, which began in April 2023, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced around 12 million, according to the World Health Organisation. Aid organisations continue to operate under extreme risk, reaching over one million people across Kordofan, but the UN warns that urgent action is needed to prevent further civilian casualties and famine.

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